Welcome to the Concrete Jungle - Design Bureau

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Welcome to the Concrete Jungle

Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

Photos by Chris Bradley Photography

Text by John Taylor 

Sometimes, all it takes is a sledgehammer. When Project Interiors founder Aimee Wertepny and designer Jennifer Krantz were given the green light from a prolific 28-year-old bachelor seeking “a place for shaking cocktails, shak- ing hands, and shaking all pretense about what his ‘grown up,’ pie-in-the-sky condo should look like,” the two came in swinging, literally. “Knocking down walls, extending walls, cladding walls, dropping in a steel fireplace partition,” she says. “Game changers!” We caught up with the duo to learn more about the decisions behind the sleek and contemporary design.

You dubbed this project “Concrete Jungle.” Which details best represent the overall intended aesthetic?

The leather-wrapped brass chandelier; the gnarly, tangled string-theory chair; the contrast of bright white lacquer against raw steel; the obvious view to the city; and beyond. This place is all architectural glitz with lots of laughs.

Can you tell me about the wall behind the bed?

Our buddy [who] we fondly refer to as “the garbage picker” had us eating our words when he showed us these old factory doors. The chipped paint and rusty hardware make the perfect gritty backdrop against the crisp skyline views and sleek furniture.

What challenges did you two find yourselves up against?

Working with such a long, narrow space presented some challenges—we seamed rugs together to make one large area rug
to cover the long expanse. Also, the lighting was a challenge. The raw concrete ceilings didn’t offer any overhead light, but a custom designed steel contraption mounted to the ceiling makes this hottie glow when the sun goes down.

With so many cool aspects of design at work here, which are you most proud of?

They say you can never be too skinny or too rich, right? Well, this lady needed to put a little meat on her bones...we extended a wall to create a foyer, clad it in ebonized wood, and gave the overall appearance of more mass. Because in architecture, unlike our waistlines, bigger is better.

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